Vandal resistant mailbox

United States
September 12, 2007 11:29am CST
Well I'm new here, so I figured I would start by sharing my latest undertaking. I enjoy working with my hands, I do it for a living and a hobby. Over the past few years our mailbox has suffered devistating damage on several occasions. After the most recent occurance a few days ago I ventured out to the shop. I notice that I had a large amount of 1/4" thick steel plate.....out came the idea. I've seen "sturdy" "vandal resistant" mailboxes online for upwards of a hundred dollars, these are all "sturdy" 12ga. steel...etc. Using my abundance of 1/4" steel plate, lots of cutting a grinding time, I duplicated the store bought mailbox that used to reside on my post. Only the one I made weighs about 50 pounds, and I'm pretty sure it can withstand anything any vandal wants to throw at it. I do hope for the sake of their vehicles and arms that they do not attempt a bat on this innocent looking box. So what do you think 1/4" too thick? Too thin? Maybe I should have used the 1/2" material I have...lol. Either way I think all the work put into this will pay for itself in laughs next time someone tries to destroy my mailbox.
2 responses
Married2aMarine
@Married2aMarine (1273)
• United States
12 Sep 07
We need something like that for our mailbox. Ours has been a victim of hit and run TWICE in the last 4 months. I'm surprised I can still use it. Only problem with my mailbox now is that it's a little wobbly and the lid doesn't close all the way. But i'm reluctant to change it just to have it destroyed again.
1 person likes this
J0be269
@J0be269 (7)
• United States
12 Sep 07
Wow, you can still use yours? My last store bought mailbox ended up about 20 feet from the post in the ditch...poor lil thing. If your not the metal working type there is a pretty easy, relatively cheap alternative to my design. Simply go buy two mail boxes, one of those extra large kind, and a standard size one. Remove the door from the standard size, insert it into the large size box and fill void with concrete. Once dry this makes a nice little postal fortress.
TDonald
@TDonald (1421)
• United States
13 Sep 07
Try this. Buy 2 mailboxes... a big one and a regular sized one. Stand the big one on end and pour a inch or so of cement in the bottom of it. Put the regular sized one in and fill the space between the two with cement. After everything hardens up install you new vandal proof mailbox.